Beer Pick of the Week
Down ‘n Dirty Deschutes Brewery Bend, Oregon Style: IPA Alcohol: 6.3% IBUs: 80 Serving Style: 22-ounce bottles Availability: Year-round in most national markets.
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Prima Pils Victory Brewery Downington, Pennsylvania Style: German-style Pilsner Alcohol: 5.3% IBUs: Unknown Serving Style: 12-ounce bottles and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Nationwide and year-round
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Armory XPA Deschutes Brewery Bend, Oregon Style: Experimental pale ale Alcohol: 5.9% IBUs: 55 Serving style: 12-ounce bottes Availability: Year-around in the West and much of the U.S.
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Twisted Monk Dust Bowl Brewing Co. Turlock, CA Style: Belgian-style Abbey Ale Alcohol: 7.7% IBUs: Serving style: 22-ounce bottles Availability: Spring seasonal in Northern California
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IPA Shandy Traveler Beer Co. Burlington, Vermont Style: IPA with Citrus Alcohol: 4.4% IBUs: 52 Serving Style: 12-ounce bottles, kegs Availability: Nationally, year-round
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The Abyss, 2015 Reserve Deschutes Brewery Bend, Oregon Style: Imperial stout Alcohol: 12.2% IBUs: 86 Serving style: 22-ounce bottle Availability: Released every year in November or December. Brewery says it will age well if laid away for some time (We’ve not had that much discipline or foresight).
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Guinness Stout Guinness Brewery Dublin, Ireland Style: Irish Stout Alcohol: 4.2% IBUs: Unknown Serving Style: Bottles, cans and kegs (our sample from “draught”) Availability: Year-around and worldwide
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Tangerine Soul Style Green Flash Brewing San Diego Style: IPA Alcohol: 6.5% IBUs: 75 Serving Style: 12-ounce bottle and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Year-around on the West Coast and in some nat’l mkts
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Vienna Lager Chuckanut Brewery Bellingham, Washington Style: Vienna-style lager Alcohol: 5.5% IBUs: 20 Serving Style: 12, 17-ounce bottles and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Year-around in Washington state and parts of the rest of the West
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Anvil ESB Alesmith Brewing San Diego Style: English Bitter Ale Alcohol: 5.5% IBUs: 30 Serving Style: 22-ounce bottle Availability: Year-around in Southern California. Hit and miss elsewhere in U.S.
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Fresh Squeezed Deschutes Brewery Bend, Oregon Style: IPA Alcohol: 6.4% IBUs: 60 Serving Style: 12-oz bottles and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Year around throughout the West and in much of the rest of U.S.
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Grapefruit Sculpin Ballast Point Brewery San Diego Style: IPA Alcohol: 7% IBUs: 70 Serving Style: 12-ounce bottles and cans, kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Year-round in most of the western U.S.
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Yard Sale Winter Lager Uinta Brewery Salt Lake City, Utah Style: Amber Lager Alcohol: 4% IBUs: 22 Serving style: 12-ounce bottles and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Seasonal--December through March—in much of the West
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Beer Camp Tropical IPA Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Chico, California and Mills River, NC Style: American IPA Alcohol: 6.7% IBUs: 55 Serving style: 12-ounce bottles and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Nationwide distribution, but seasonal (spring)
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Black Butte XXVII Deschutes Brewery Bend , Oregon Style: Imperial Porter Alcohol: 11.6% IBUs: 60 Serving Style: 22-ounce bottles and kegs (our sample from bottle) Availability: This barrel-aged version of Deschutes' flagship Black Butte Porter is released annually. Its composition varies somewhat from year-to-year and distribution is limited.
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Pivo Hoppy Pils Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles, CA Style: Dry-hopped Pilsner Alcohol: 5.3% IBU’s: 40 Serving Style: Six-packs of cans or bottles, kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Widely distributed on the West Coast Appearance: “Brilliant straw or light golden color. Big, frothy white head.” Aroma: “For a pilsner it’s quite floral and hoppy on the nose, but in a really good way. There’s also some citrus when you waft the glass by your face a second time.” Taste: “There’s a wonderful balance here. You still get a generous amount of hops, but it’s offset by…
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Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve Henry Weinhard Brewing Co Milwaukee, Wisc. Style: American Lager Alcohol: 4.8% IBUs: 15 Serving Style: 12-ounce bottles Availability: Widely-distributed throughout the U.S. Appearance: “Light gold color. Fluffy white head that doesn’t last too long.” Aroma: “Some malt and hops actually come through. More beer nose than I’d have expected.” Taste: “Nice carbonation gives it a sprightly opening. There’s some lemony flavor up front and it finishes cleanly. Not exciting, maybe, but not bad. Actually, much better than I expected.” Food Affinity: “Little Mexican street tacos with salsa and freshly-squeezed limes. Ceviche. New England-style clam…
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Rodenbach Grand Cru Brouweriji Rodenbach N.V. Roeselare (Belgium) Style: Flanders Red Ale Alcohol: 6% IBUs: Unknown Serving Style: Bottles and kegs. (Our sample from draft) Availability: Year-round, world-wide (though you may have to search a bit)
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Calico Amber Ale Ballast Point Brewery San Diego Style: amber ale Alcohol: 5.5% IBUs: 35 Serving style: 12, 22-ounce bottles, kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Year-round throughout the West Coast
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Weihenstephan Original Lager Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Freising, Bavaria (Germany) Style: Helles Lager Alcohol: 5.1% IBUs: unknown Serving Style: bottles and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Year-round in world-wide markets Appearance: “Clear and in a bright yellow-to-light golden shade. Deep white head which settles down after a few minutes.” Aroma: “Seems floral. More nose there than you’d expect from the appearance. Some malt presence and a bit of yeast.” Taste: “Good carbonation. Something about it seems so much more substantial than what you’d think. Might not be appreciated by the fans of really big, hoppy IPAs, but if…
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Celebration Ale Sierra Nevada Chico, CA Style: American IPA Alcohol: 6.8% IBUs: 65 Serving Style: 12-ounce bottles and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Seasonal around Christmas time in most of the U.S. Appearance: “It’s a dark amber color, almost an auburn shade. There’s a creamy, off-white head of maybe ½ an inch to start with. Eventually it dissipates, but seems to last quite a while.” Aroma: “Fresh and piney, with some citrus that I think is more orangey than like any other fruit. There’s some biscuity and hazelnut quality in the background, too (a little like in…
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Down to Earth 21st Amendment Brewery San Francisco Style: Session IPA Alcohol: 4.4% IBUs: 45 Serving Style: 12 ounce cans and kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Year-round in most national markets Appearance: “Amber with a smallish head.” Aroma: “Hoppy. Grapefruit nose heading toward tropical fruit (pineapple, mango). Taste: “Citrrusy with some toasty malt and a slightly sweet finish. Fairly crisp with good carbonation. Pleasant drink that doesn’t suffer for being light in alcohol.” Food Affinity: “Pita chips with a garlicy humus. Smoked salmon spread on Rye Crisp. Oil-cured Greek olives. --Guest reviewer Lyle Haden is…
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Union Jack Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles and Buellton, California Style: West Coast IPA Alcohol: 7.5% IBUs: 70 Serving Style: 12-ounce cans, 12 and 22-ounce bottles, kegs (our sample from draft) Availability: Year-round in much of the U.S. Appearance: “Light amber or dark golden in color. Creamy head that dissipated quickly.” Aroma: “Pronounced citrus nose. Mostly grapefuity, but there seems to be some tangerine or orange notes and a bit of spice, too.” Taste: “Strongly-hopped, but great balance here. The malt is very welcome. Seems to be reminiscent of British IPAs, though I know it has much…
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Chasin’ Freshies Deschutes Brewery Bend, Oregon Style: (fresh-hopped) IPA Alcohol: 7.4% IBUs: 65 Serving Style: 22-ounce bottles, kegs (our sample from bottle) Availability: Seasonal—October forward through the fall. Excellent distribution on the West Coast and sometimes beyond that. Appearance: “Light golden color and a bit hazy. Creamy white head that starts about ¾ of an inch deep and dissipates to maybe 1/8 of an inch after three-to-four minutes.” Aroma: “Clean and citrusy—maybe a touch of pineapple.” Taste: “Nice balance of carbonation and creaminess at the start. Seems simultaneously sweet and tart. I’d say that the hops are bright…
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Beer Pick of the Week